The Selection Oneshots
by ThatOneChick'98
Summary: Exactly the name. It there is any sequence I will tell you but they really don't have a sequence or have anything in common unless I tell you otherwise. Happy reading :)
1. Chapter 1

Selection One Shots

Number 1

A month after Maxon had saved me from his father's whip, after he kept me there, his father made him make a choice. Me or Kriss. I had had a month to make him trust me again, but the moment I saw his face that night I knew I hadn't accomplished my goal.

He let me go. The Prince of Illea didn't choose me. I had to deal with that, and I did. Fairly well too.

I started working at one of the schools Kriss set up through her philanthropy project, a had a class full of amazing kindergarteners that looked up to me. To them, I was the queen.

When the king died, I got an invitation to his funeral. I didn't go, but I sent my condolences to Maxon. Even if the king did beat Maxon, he was still his father. The end of his rule meant the start of Maxon's. But I didn't go, my kids, my students, needed me there, even if I was still in Angeles I would have had to miss school for it.

The moment people told me his daughter was in my class, the next year, I was surprised. Usually royalty were educated in the palace, not in a public school with the other kids. Apparently, Maxon had asked that she be put in my class specifically. The principal told me it was because Maxon thought she would transition better if she had a teacher that knew what her world was like.

I agreed.

The day school started, I made sure to stand outside and wait for all my kids. They found me pretty easily, they came up and talked to me.

Just as I was talking to one of them, a sprightly girl whose older sister had been in my class before, I heard a voice I hadn't heard in a while, "America!"

Kriss ran as fast as her heels could carry her and hugged me, "Kris, it's lovely to see you."

She looked me over, "Look at you! You're wearing pants! You must love it."

"Yes, yes I do. How are you? The palace seems to be treating you well."

"Yes it has, thank you for asking."

Maxon stood behind her, looking over her shoulder at me. Hiding behind his leg was his daughter, "Is this Miss Arianna? Hello darling, how are you?"

The little girl I was talking to bounded up, obviously not shy, even if the monarchs of her country are right in front of her, "Hi! I'm Sophie, do you want to be my friend?" Arianna nodded and smiled at her. Before you could blink Arianna was getting dragged towards the playground, leaving her parents behind her.

"Well, that was fast. I dare say you work miracles, America."

"What can I say? She's lucky, first hour and already a friend. I think they'll complement each other nicely. How are you Maxon?"

"Good, and you?" I opened my mouth to speak, but I heard a cry from the playground. A little boy, Theodore, had already hurt himself.

"That's my cue. I'll see you all at open house a couple of months?"

They nodded and I went off.

They did come to open house, or at least Maxon did. When they entered, Arianna towing her father towards the room, Arianna went straight towards me, "Miss Mer, Miss Mer! This is my papa."

"I know, Arianna."

"You all should talk, but nothing bad about me. Where's Sophie?"

"Over there."

She squealed and raced off. Maxon smiled at her, "She really likes you, you know. She has to come home every day and tell us about what the amazing Miss Mer did that day. You do everything from theatre in history to music in English. It's pretty amazing. And she's adjusting a lot better than we thought she would."

I smiled, "Little kids transition better than anyone. It's just how they're built. They spring back up. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

HE stared at me for a second, "Thank you America. There is no one I trust more to take care of my little girl."

I smiled, "I'm glad I finally have your trust."


	2. Chapter 2

Oneshot 2

The moment Maxon came to my room at midnight I was conused. He hadn't tugged his ear earlier that day, and he hadn't warned me any other way. He just knocked on the door asking to come in. It wasn't until I saw the bottle in his hand that I understood why.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, ushering him inside.

"No," he said before stumbling into one of my tables, "Maybe."

"Maxon, I think maybe you should give me that bottle."

He handed it to me, before slouching down onto my piano bench. It took him a second to realize that the huge thing in front of him was a piano, "Ah, looky here. So…musicy."

"Maxon-"

"Why don't you ever play anymore? My mother used to walk by your room just to listen to you play, but now she says she never hears you."

"I got sidetracked I guess. No reason to play. Why did you get drunk? What pushed you that far?"

"My father. He thinks he can control every aspect of my life: who I marry, what I do with the country, how I act, hot I walk, talk, eat, sit. Sometimes I feel like my whole world is being shaped and twisted just to make sure I can't do anything besides obey him. I was sick of it."

"Everyone feels that way sometime or another. In your case, well, I'm surprised it didn't come sooner."

"Can I ask you something? I don't want you to answer as a contestant in the Selection or with politics in mind or even like how you would before I kissed you. I want you to answer like that fiery redhaired girl who yelled at me that first night. Can you do that? Can you answer like the girl who would never give up playing?"

"Yes, yes I can. I'll answer as your friend Maxon. You haven't lost me in that department. You never will."

"When you think about what my father does to me, do you think of me as a coward, a wimp?"

"No, I think of him as those things. He should never even think of that, let alone do it. A wimp would never be able to take that for so long, and a coward wouldn't have taken a beating for me. Like I said: you are the epitome of all things good."

"Why did you quit playing? You love playing."

"Honestly, I found something I love more. Now I tend to go with that option more than the other."

He was getting closer to me, walking up to me from where I was leaning against my bed post, "What if the thing you love more doesn't want you to stop, and would gladly listen to it anytime?"

The next day, when the queen walked by, she heard the music again. And she smiled.

She would have to put whiskey on Maxon's desk more often.


	3. Chapter 3

Oneshot 3

**Au Note: Hello! Don't shoot! I had to finish editing a book I'm trying to get published. Sorry, fanfic is trumped by an actual book. *Shrugs*.**

**Anyways, I decided to do some alternate universes on this little lovely collection of what my brain makes up.**

**So, this one is going to be regular everyday high school. With shy, popular boy Maxon, loud violin orchdork America, and sly, poor boy Aspen. So, enjoy, I think? **

I didn't mean to run into him at school, but I did. I ran into my brother's old best friend. Of course, Kota dropped out of school and out of our lives.

Aspen recognized me right away, he also recognized the punk football players that had taken my violin case from me. He had tried to get me to go to the nurse, I had slammed my head pretty hard on the banister after I ran into him and bounced off of his really hard chest, but I wouldn't leave my violin. They had already gotten the bow out and were bending it like a toothpick. I was about ready to cry.

"Please!" I said, swaying towards them (maybe I hit my head harder than I thought), "Give it back!"

I watched as one of the football players plucked one of the strings so hard it broke. That was when I started crying. They were hurting my violin! I grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be a textbook out of a random person's hands and threw it at them.

They looked up from my violin and started towards me.

Then, for some reason, Aspen had stepped in front of me, "You gonna pick on a girl half your size? Two muscular football players against one tiny girl? Have some class!"

Others chimed in the agreement and the football players miraculously backed off. I'm pretty sure that was when I fainted.

The next thing I knew, I was in the nurse's office with an ice pack on my head and Aspen in the chair next to me. The nurse's ad told him to go back to class but he wouldn't move. HE stayed in that spot and talked to me. We started dating for two years, then he broke it off my junior year.

The cheerleaders needed an electric violinist for one of their performances, I gladly accepted. I started preforming in front of the school, and I became the orchdork that had worked her way to the top. Cheerleaders and football players said hi to me in the hallways, skaters saluted me for having done something no one else had, freshmen looked up to me. Everything was good. Even the shy head quarterback had taken a notice to me. MAxon Schreave stopped me in the middle of the hallway to ask how my day was going.

We became best friends, then more, that was, until Aspen had risen to the top in soccer his senior year. I couldn't get either of them off my mind.

They said I had to choose at the end of senior year.

Instead I just told them I was going to Juliart neither of them were getting me. I chose myself.

**Au Note: You all do realize I love torturing you all right? *Evil laugh*. No but seriously, girl power, it had to be written. After all, she did say, "I'm not choosing him or you. I'm choosing me." What if that was what she meant. Just something to think about. *Slowly backs up into the dark***


	4. Chapter 4

Oneshot 4

**Au Note: Hi dearies! Okay, so a lot of you asked for the first oneshot to become an actual progressive story. Here's the problem, I really did intend for that to be a oneshot. I really don't know what to do with it to make it progress. I would need to go back and make an actual plot line for it. If any of you could think of a way to make it a plot PM me or review. I'll see what I can do.**

**That being said, I will most likely make it into a separate fanfic and not attach it to this one, just so I could keep on with both. I don't think there will be any objections to that?**

**One more thing before I shoot you on over to oneshot land, there is a fanfic that you all should really check out, it's by Lady Unimportant and it's After the (Happy) Ending. Holy canole. Lady Unimportant, if you are reading this (which I think you are because I'm pretty sure you reiewed one of the chapters 1) your name is awesome, high five. 2) Wow, the writing is stellar and amazing and it makes my fangirl heart sing 3) update. Period. That's a command, young lady (I'm guessing you're a girl because of your username, but if not sorry).**

**I have a snow day tomorrow, ha Kentucky! That's what you get for making my winter break so short!**

**I'm sorry, you can have your oneshot now. Yes, I know I lied.**

**Happy reading, dearies .**

"So, Prince MAxon. What did you get the Selected for Christmas?"

"Well, Gavril, funny that you should ask that question. I've only given out three out of the four girls. I know I'm bad, it's the day after Christmas, and I haven't given it to her, I know."

"Oh my goodness, who is it?"

"America."

"Oh she probably doesn't mind."

Everyone looked at me, "He spoils me enough already. I don't care."

They both laughed, "So, what did you get the other girls?"

"Well, Celeste was easy, you just get her a bracelet and she's as good as gold. For Kriss I got her a book that my mom said she would love. It's called Prejudice and Pride or something. I don't know, but she liked it. For Elise I got her those little stacking dolls, you know?"

"yeah the ones where you open one up and there's another smaller one inside?"

"Yeah, those."

"Well, what did you get for America or have you not figured that out yet?"

"Well, you see, America's not really picky, a gift is a gift and it's awesome no matter what it is, but she doesn't really care for material possessions. So you can either make her happy or excessively happy. So, America, would you like your present now?"

"Uhhhhh, do I?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, get up, and turn around."

"What?" I did what he told me to do anyway.

The next thing I know his tie is being wrapped around my head and tied so I couldn't see. He turned me ninety degrees and said, "Okay, now walk forward."

I slowly walked forward with my arms outstretched so I didn't run into anything. The next thing I know two big, warm hands are grabbing mine, "Hello, kitten."

I tore off the blindfold and there sat my father with my whold family behind him, even Kenna with her newborn baby boy. The only one that wasn't there was Kota.

"Oh my goodness," I said, trying to hug all of them at once.

"So, did I do it right?" Maxon asked.

"You did an amazong job, Max."


	5. Chapter 5

Oneshot 5

**Au Note: So, I've always played with the idea that the common people find out that the king has been abusing MAxon, if you all have read my story, Rebecca, then you will know that I like this idea. **

**That being said, enjoy my dears.**

They didn't know the camera crew was still in the castle, otherwise Maxon would have thought twice about entering America's room so late at night. He would have made sure to lock the door so the cameras couldn't reopen the door and shot around it. Maybe he would have made sure not to trip on the carpet.

"What's going on in there?" one of the news reporters asked the cameraman, who was peering around the door.

"It looks like he's drunk," the cameraman replied.

"America," Maxon said, having made it to her bed. She stirred, just barely awake, "I need your help again."

"Again? What happened this time?"

The cameraman watched through the lens as Prince Maxon turned around, facing away from the bed, and as Lady America helped him gently out of his work jacket to show a shirt that was soaked in…blood, "It looks like someone whipped him."

"It was just a fight, then it got personal. Next thing I know things got personal, and he was taking out the belt."

"Personal?" The room was silent as Lady America helped Prince Maxon out of his shirt, "You and your father were fighting about me. That was why he whipped you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, "Lay down on the bed. Try not to get blood everywhere. I'd prefer it in you and not on my sheets."

America got off the bed, put a robe on, and disappeared into the bathroom, probably to get a first aid kit. Prince Maxon laid down on the bed, wincing in pain.

"His father did it," the cameraman whispered as America came back.

She worked quietly, with practiced hands, quickly cleaning and bandaging the wounds. They didn't make a sound, but once she was done, America gave him a drink and painkillers. She smoothed her hand through his hair as he tried to stutter out a thank you.

America smiled, the painkillers would kick in soon and he wouldn't feel anything. HE would be fine, "I'm going to go clean all this up. You just stay right there and rest."

She got the first aid kit and started walking back to the bathroom, stopping when she finally saw the camera. The kit fell to the floor and she raced toward the door, "What are you doing?! Give me that tape!"

The news reporter didn't seem worried about her, "How long has this been going on, Lady America? You seemed very calm, does this happen often?"

"You fools! Just give me the tape and forget you saw anything! He'll kill us all if this gets out!"

For the first time, the reporter seemed to get what was happening, "We-we can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"This is live."

That was probably the first time a camera recorded one of the Elite cuss, "He's gonna kill us. He's gonna kill us."

She started crying then, and Maxon walked up to her, taking her stiffly into his arms, "I think you should leave now. You've done enough."

_The Next Day_

"We are at the palace where later today a video was sent out and put on TV. This video had evidence that King Clarkson whips Prince MAxon with a belt. Later that morning, kitchen staff said they saw Prince Maxon had dragged Lady America through the kitchen and into a black car. They said it was a very emotional moment, saying that Prince Maxon had to drag Lady Americe, who was saying that she wanted to stay with him, no matter what. They then said that Prince Maxon had repeated told her that it was too dangerous for her here before kissing her goodbye and putting her in the care of a guard, who then drove away to an unknown location.

"Rumor has it that she is not going home, but running because of what was shown in the earlier video. Both Prince Maxon and Lady America seem to fear King Clarkson's wrath.

"We will stay with this story as it progresses."


	6. Chapter 6

Oneshot 6

**Au Note: so, I've been away awhile, which means two chapters today. Yay! One is going to be a back fire on the king's comment that America can't rule a country without sending it into chaos. Because we all want to see that happen, let's face it. The other will be heart-throbbing. **

**Enjoy, my Dears.**

The mob made their way to the front doors of the palace the guards thought the rebels were trying a desparate way of getting into the palace. The only reason the large crowd of people had gotten to the foyer was that there were no weapons that the guards could see.

So, the guards circled the foyer and let them in, having Officer Leger be in the middle to tell them to leave. "If you don't have an appointment you should go back home."

A man stepped up with his hands high, "We just want to talk to the king."

"Not going to happen, not with all these people. Go home."

"We're not going to hurt him. Just…talking."

It was obvious that the people had expected to surprise the people on the palace by their sheer number and had expected the king to come. Unfortunately, even with around two hundred people, the guards were not impressed.

"If you don't leave now. We will have to raise the alarm and attack. Then, you'll never see the king or anyone at all, ever again."

But Officer Leger's words were wasted. The leader had already seen the beautiful, red headed girl gently descending the stairs, taking in the scene before her, "Lady America!"

Officer Leger turned around startled, "America? Go back to the Women's Room."

The leader was already trying to get to her though, "We wish to speak to the king, Lady America. We won't harm him, just talk to him."

America looked down, descending the rest of the stairs, "Is that so?" she went up to Aspen, "What is going on?"

"They just…walked up. No visible weapons so we couldn't shoot them on sight. We can shoot if they don't obey orders. We've never seen anything like this."

Without taking her glance off Aspen, Lady America crooked her fingers at the leader, allowing him to come forward, "What do you wish to talk to the king about?"

"We want better circumstances in factories, more funding for schools. More food in our bellies and money for electricity and warmth."

Lady America finally turned to him, "You want food, warmth, and better working conditions? That's a lot to ask for when we have to do that for the whole country."

"We have a list of reasons why he should."

"One person can deliver a message, the others can go home."

"No, ma'am. We're in this together. If one person comes he can easily ignore it. If a lot of people come he can't."

She turned to Aspen and shrugged, "It makes sense. Better living conditions for Kenna awould be nice, especially with the new baby coming. Then, we can work our way down."

"America all of them? They could easily trample the king."

Lady America waved a maid and a guard over to her. To the guard she said, "Take three fourths of the guards and place them in the dining room. Have the others patrol the palace incase this is a decoy for the rebels to attack. Go now." To the maid she said, "Go tell the kitchen maids to put lots of food out in the dining room and have someone stoke a fire in there for warmth. Then go find Prince Maxon and tell him what is happening."

Then, Lady America stepped two steps up the stairs so everyone in the crowd could see her, "Ladies and gentlemen, in a few moments Officer Leger will lead you into the dining room where you will receive warmth and food. Before you go into the dining room every man, woman, child, and baby will be searched for weapons then let in. Any refusal to be searched will be charged with treason. I think we all know what the penalty for treason is. The king has been sent for, he will be there momentarily."

After every person was searched Lady America was waiting just inside to meet them.

"Prince Maxon, sir?" said the maid America had sent, "A large group of people just entered the palace. They wish to speak to you about something. Lady America sent me to fetch you. She's taking care of it, but they won't leave until they see you."

The king, who was sitting next to Maxon, roared in outrage, "We'll have a war on her hands because of that girl. Thinking she can take care of a mob of people like that!"

When they entered the dining room, everyone was calm, happy, warm, and full. Everything was fine. Maxon chckled, "So Father, where is this war you were talking about the whole way here?"

Maxon spied America holding a baby and talking to a woman. America smiled at him and waved. She could tell he was proud of her.


	7. Chapter 7

Oneshot 7

**Au Note: This is probably going to be a short one, but I can't do much with it. You all know the song Say Something with Christina Aguilera and A Great Big World? That's where this came from. Excubes me if you all don't like it. **

**I would recommend listening to the song as you read. Makes it more dramatic.**

**Enjoy my dears.**

I didn't want Maxon to walk in on something like that, but he did. He walked in right when Aspen kissed me. He saw the whole thing. He even saw when I kissed Aspen back. He saw it all. He knew now.

When Aspen and I broke apart the kiss and Aspen saw Maxon at the door his eyes got big. I turned around expecting to see a camera crew there, but it was him, just standing there with a hurt look on his face, "Maxon," I breathed, not knowing what to say.

I couldn't say that it wasn't what it looked like because it was exactly what it looked like. I couldn't say that Aspen didn't mean anything to me because…he did, I was still confused about which one I loved, but one look at Maxon's face told me I might not get that choice. Maxon looked at me before shaking his head, "Please just say something America. What's going on?"

He wanted me to say those things but I couldn't. Aspen stood there quietly agreeing with Maxon. They wanted me to make my choice right now. In front of both of them. Which one meant the most to me? Which one did I love the most?

The message in their eyes was the same: _Say something. Please just say something before I give up on you!_

"America, please. Just explain it to me!" Maxon said, but I already had tears streaming down my face. I collapsed onto the couch sobbing.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!" I didn't know which one I was telling that to. I could have said it to Maxon to apologize for what he saw. I could have said it to Aspen for putting his life on the line. I could have said it to both of them for being so selfish, maybe I said it to myself for the exact same reason.

For a minute the only noise in the room were my sobs. I looked up at Maxon to see the gentle tears streaming down his face, "Say something, America, I'm giving up on you." He begged.

No! No! I couldn't lose Maxon! I couldn't! My heart filled up with desperation and guilt and sadness. I _was_ losing him! "No! Please! He's the boyfriend from the treehouse! Please!"

Aspen's head was bowed in defeat. He already knew I made my choice, he knew who I had picked, and now the one I had picked might just send me home without a second thought.

"And you've been here all this time?" the question wasn't if Aspen really had been here, it was if I would run after him or Aspen.

Then came the test, without a word he turned on his heel and walked away, "MAXON! Please! Stop!" Maxon stopped, and I pushed him up against the wall. Without hesitation I grabbed his shirt, "Please just say something! Please! Please don't do that! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I started sobbing into his shirt, wrapping my arms around him.

Slowly we sank to the ground both wrapped around the other. One of his hands was in my hair, holding me to him and the other was wrapped around my waist, "I'm just learning how to love. Maybe you could teach me more?"

I started crying again, but this time out of joy. I couldn't think of anything better.

"Say something?" Maxon asked.

"Absolutely."


End file.
